Overview

• Former IBAC commissioner Robert Redlich told the inquiry that the requirement for corrupt conduct to be a criminal offence creates a “safe haven” for grey corruption.
• NSW ICAC chief John Hatzistergos said Operation Keppel’s public probe into the Berejiklian-Maguire relationship would likely have been blocked under Victoria’s narrow legal framework.
• Submissions from IBAC, the Victorian Bar, Australian Lawyers Alliance, Law Institute of Victoria, Centre for Public Integrity and NSW ICAC urged aligning Victoria’s definition of corruption with broader national models.
• Redlich recommended removing the “exceptional circumstances” threshold for public hearings and expanding confidentiality rules to prevent complainants from going public prematurely.
• The Victorian government defended IBAC’s expanded funding and current powers, and legislative change now depends on the inquiry’s forthcoming recommendations and the government’s response.